The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.

The season premiered on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT and aired on Sunday nights[3] with the season finale on May 10, 2009. The show was again hosted by Phil Keoghan.

The Race's route was updated via Google Earth, and according to Bertram van Munster, this season includes new graphics, a new opening sequence (consequently, the team videos preceding a team's close up are updated throughout the season to reflect tasks that have already been completed), and a tuneup in the musical score (still keeping the key in B flat minor),[4] as well as the use of a split screen to show several scenes at the same time. This season also changed its main team names and route info font from Microgramma to Bank Gothic.

Season 14 introduced a new twist to the U-Turn: the U-Turn in Leg 4 was a Blind U-Turn, in which the team electing to use it did so anonymously; other U-Turns (and the Yields that got replaced) required teams utilizing them to acknowledge their use to subsequent teams. The U-Turn in Leg 11 was a normal U-Turn.

Leg 10 and Leg 11 formed a double-length leg, which was a surprise feature of every Race from Season 6 to Season 10 but had not been seen since. However, this double-length Leg was the first where the double-length Leg was revealed to the teams at a location that was explicitly called a Pit Stop, except teams were not warned of an elimination in the clue. In previous seasons, teams were either given some implicit reference to a Pit Stop, such as "go and meet Phil Keoghan at the mat" and were handed their next clue by Keoghan, or were given a clue to continue racing at a clue box where a clue directing teams to the Pit Stop would have been expected.

Mel & Mike confirmed in a post-race interview that there was an unaired, unused Fast Forward in Leg 7 that involved purchasing items for an orphanage using the team's own money.[6] This was the first season ever where no team took the Fast Forward option throughout the race.

The Maui finish line was the southernmost finish location in the American version of the Race.

Applications were due on May 28, 2008. Semi-finalist interviews were held sometime in June 2008 and the final casting interviews were held in Los Angeles around late June or early July 2008. Scouting for locations was performed during August. Filming took place during November 2008.

One member of the cast, Luke Adams, is the first deaf contestant in the U.S. series; he relied on his mother Margie Adams to communicate in the race. (The Amazing Race Asia 2 winner Adrian Yap was the only other deaf Amazing Race contestant.)[7] Margie and Luke had originally applied to be on The Amazing Race 8 (along with two other family members), but ended up being one of the last families cut.[8]Mike White had originally been chosen to participate on The Amazing Race 13 with director Jon Kasdan, but the latter dropped out before filming. The show's casting director wanted White for Season 14 and he was ultimately paired with his father for the Race.[9]

The following teams participated in the Race, each listed along with their placements in each leg and relationships as identified by the program. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television, owing to the inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:

A green ƒ indicates that the team won a Fast Forward clue. If placed next to a Leg number, this indicates that the Fast Forward was available for that Leg but not used.

An underlined blue team's placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination Leg and had to perform a Speed Bump task in the following Leg.

Italicized results indicate the position of the team at the midpoint of a two-episode Leg.

A brown ⊃ means the team chose to use a U-Turn; ⊂ indicates the team who received it.

^ The U-Turn in Leg 4 was a Blind U-Turn; Margie & Luke did not have to reveal themselves to the other teams as having used the U-Turn.

^ The unused Fast Forward in Leg 7 was unaired, making Season 14 the first season not to air a Fast Forward.

^ Mark & Michael initially arrived 1st, but were issued two 30-minute penalties: one for intentionally tampering with the bike pumps and hiding them at the 2 Miles Detour, and another for hiring a taxi to guide them through the task, which was explicitly prohibited in the clue. As Mark & Michael were waiting out their penalty, Tammy & Victor and Jaime & Cara checked in, dropping Mark & Michael to 3rd.

^ Kisha & Jen initially arrived 3rd, but were not allowed to check in because they had left their travel documents and money at the location of the Roadblock; they were instructed to retrieve them before they could check in again. Tammy & Victor checked in while Kisha & Jen went back, dropping them to 4th; Mark & Michael also arrived during this time, but were unable to check in due to penalties accumulated during the Leg (see note 5).

^ Mark & Michael initially arrived 4th, but were issued two 2-hour penalties, both for "using personal belongings to settle a bill" (they had bartered personal items to pay two taxi fares). With just over 3 hours of the penalty time remaining, Kisha & Jen returned to check in 4th. Mark & Michael, in last place at that point, were allowed to check in immediately after Kisha & Jen; however, they were notified the Leg was non-elimination, and the remaining penalty would be accessed at the start of the next Leg.

^ Leg 10 and Leg 11 together formed one marathon leg, shown over two episodes.

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers. Starting this season, the titles also include the general location (nation, city or subnational region) in which the episode was taped.[10]

After elimination, the first six teams eliminated were sequestered at a villa in Ko Samui, Thailand to await the finale. CBS posted short videos on its website after each episode aired in the Pacific time zone to show the eliminated teams interacting at the villa.

After Leg 1, Preston & Jennifer were the first team eliminated and were sent to the villa. They expressed their disappointment at being eliminated first and believed that Steve & Linda would be eliminated next. They also discussed who they believe are strong teams and got into an argument over the factors that led to their elimination.

After Leg 2, Steve & Linda were the second team eliminated and were sent to the villa. Steve openly complained about Preston & Jennifer refusing to form an alliance with him and Linda during the first Leg, which irritated Preston. Later in the day, the two eliminated teams decided to take a trip to a local snake farm, and then went out to eat. They then predicted that either Christie & Jodi or Jaime & Cara would be the next team eliminated.

After Leg 3, Brad & Victoria were the third team eliminated and were sent to the villa. Their arrival surprised the other two eliminated teams. While recounting the events leading to her and Brad's elimination, Victoria broke down into tears. Tensions developed between Steve & Linda and Preston & Jennifer during the conversation, as Jennifer was perceived as an incessant talker, even interrupting Linda at one point. The next morning, the three eliminated teams visited a Buddhist temple, receiving a blessing of good luck from a monk.

After Leg 4, Amanda & Kris were the fourth team eliminated and were sent to the villa. They talked about what happened during the Leg, erroneously deducing that it was either Christie & Jodi or Kisha & Jen who had U-Turned them. Afterward, the four eliminated teams went to the beach to celebrate Loy Krathong.

Leg 5 was a non-elimination Leg, hence no new teams were sent to the villa. The eliminated teams received Thai massages and went ziplining.

After Leg 6, Christie & Jodi were the fifth team eliminated and were sent to the villa. They first told Amanda & Kris that it was Margie & Luke who U-Turned them, which came as a shock to everyone. Tension developed between Steve and the rest of the group, especially Preston & Jennifer. Steve accused the group of shunning him and Linda, leading to an argument.

After Leg 7, Mel & Mike were the sixth team eliminated and were sent to the villa. They expressed how the remaining teams on the race are becoming more competitive. Afterward, everyone went shopping at a nearby marketplace. Tension continued to grow between Preston & Jennifer when Preston became irritated with Jennifer over her buying another purse.

Leg 8 was a non-elimination Leg, hence no new teams were eliminated. Due to their constant arguing, Preston & Jennifer chose to spend some time away from each other. The eliminated teams spent the day snorkeling and kayaking at an island.

After Leg 9, Mark & Michael were the seventh team eliminated. Before receiving a phone call from the latest team that was eliminated, the eliminated teams at the villa went on a safari, most notably riding an elephant. Afterward, Mark & Michael called the villa to inform the other teams of their elimination and told the teams at the villa of their time penalties that led to their elimination. All teams agreed that they wanted to see Jaime & Cara be eliminated next.

Leg 10 and Leg 11 were a double-length Leg, shown over two episodes. A new episode of Elimination Station was posted after each half aired:

After the first half, Elimination Station showed the sequestered teams on their last day at the Elimination Station, where the teams discussed their time together and who they wanted to see win the Race. As the eliminated teams packed for their trip to the End City, each of the teams further reminisced about their stay at the Elimination Station.

After the second half, Kisha & Jen were the eighth and final team eliminated. Elimination Station showed the six eliminated teams arriving at the End City in Maui, Hawaii. After arriving in Maui, the teams checked into a hotel. Once they checked in, they swam and snorkeled at the beach, then returned to the hotel to await a phone call from the eighth team eliminated. The six eliminated teams at the hotel were shocked and disappointed to hear about Kisha & Jen's elimination, especially Preston & Jennifer who wanted them to win. They told them about what went wrong during the second half of the Leg and talked about having been U-Turned by Tammy & Victor. Kisha & Jen said they wanted to see either Jaime & Cara or Tammy & Victor win, despite having been U-Turned by the latter. Kisha & Jen then told the other eliminated teams that they would meet again at the Finish Line before hanging up. The eliminated teams then shared their thoughts about the upcoming final Leg of the race, many of them expressing their shock over the fact that Jaime & Cara were one of the final three teams.

Leg 12 was the final Leg of The Amazing Race 14. Mark & Michael and Kisha & Jen reunited with the other eliminated teams at the Finish Line. Many teams believed that Tammy & Victor would win the race, while Kisha & Jen expressed how Margie & Luke had gotten more tense with each other. Teams expressed their opinions about the final three teams at the Finish Line along with their joys and disappointments.

At the starting line at Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base, teams opened their first clues and were given to travel for their first destination of the Race: Switzerland. The clue informed to drive to Los Angeles International Airport with only six teams would be allow in the first flight to Zürich, with the second flight leaving for Milan, Italy 25 minutes later. Upon arrival, teams must take a train to Locarno and headed to Church of Sant'Antonio, they had to sign up for one of three departure times, all of which were the following morning.

The next morning, teams received a picture from the priest which is similar to the one pictured at the right, and they left to figure out that the location of the picture: Verzasca Dam. They had to find their next clue, the first Roadblock of the Race asked "Who has nerves of steel?". One team member of the team had to bungee jump off the Verzasca Dam, the second highest commercial bungee in the world, at a height of 70 stories in order to receive their next clue.

The clue teams received to travel by train to Interlaken and had to head to Kleine Rugen Wiese for their next clue. Which told them to transport four 50-pound (23 kg) wheels of cheese from a shed to the bottom of the hill using traditional Swiss cheese carriers. Once the cheese was stacked, they would get the next clue. This task would be featured in The Amazing Race 22 as a Switchback. The clue directed teams to Hotel Stechelberg in Stechelberg with the group of yodelers listening to walk for the Pit Stop.

At the start of the leg, teams were told to fly to Munich, Germany, the capital of the state of Bavaria. Upon arrival, they had to drive to the village of Ruhpolding and must ride a cable car to Rauschberg for their next clue, as soon it was discovered for the Roadblock, asking "Who's ready to fly like an eagle?". One team member had to choose an instructor and, tandem down paraglide off a mountain 6,000 feet (1,800 m) below to a landing area, where their partner was waiting. In the event of unfavorable winds, they had a choice between waiting an undetermined amount of time for optimal weather conditions or taking a 60-minute hike down the mountain before receiving their next clue.

The clues teams received instructed them to travel to Schönau am Königsee and had to locate their next clue, which is discovered for the Detour: the choice between Balancing Dolly or Austrian Folly. In Balancing Dolly, teams had to ride Segways over a 2-mile (3.2 km) road obstacle course until receiving their next clue. In Austrian Folly, teams had to enter a party and had to throw Bavarian pies on the target. What they don't know that a team member had to hit their partner's face from a pie until they found one with cherry filling to receive their next clue.

The clue teams received at the Detour had to send to a woodcutter workshop, known as Holzsäger, teams had to wait for the Tyrolean woodcutters to cut a piece of wood. Once teams had their wood, it would be stamped on their next destination, left to figure out and told them that the Pit Stop is Schloss Hellbrunn in Salzburg, Austria.

At the start of the leg, teams were told to travel to Bucharest, the capital city of Romania. Upon arrival, they had to head to Lia Manoliu National Sports Complex to find their next clue, the Roadblock and teams asking "Who's ready to access their inner Nadia?". One team member of each team had to go through a series of moves for 3 gymnastics disciplines: the balance beam, the parallel bars, and floor exercises before receiving their next clue.

The clue teams received to travel to the city of Braşov, in the heart of historical Transylvania. They made their way to Biserica Neagră to locate their next clue, which is a cultural-themed Detour: the choice of Gypsy Moves or Vampire Remains. In Gypsy Moves, teams had to travel to gypsy encampment and helped a family of gypsies move from one camp to another by loading their belongings on a traditional horse-drawn cart and unloading them at another location. Once all of the loadings stacked, the head member would receive their next clue. In Vampire Remains, teams had to drag a chained coffin to a field of stakes on the land of Bran Castle. Once there, they had to undo the chains of the coffin to find several antique frames which they then had to smash against stakes (i.e., impale, a reference to Vlad the Impaler, inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula) until they found one containing a flag that they could trade for their next clue. The clues instructed them to travel to the Pit Stop at Vila Panoramic in Bran.

At the Hydroelectric Dam, teams picked up their clue and told to travel to Church of Saint Innokenty to find their next clue, which is for the Detour: the choice between Stack or Construct. In Stack, teams had to stack wood into a large wall formation in front of an existing stack. If their wall collapsed into the existing one, they would have to rebuild both. Once the wood is properly stacked, the lumberjack would receive their next clue. In Construct, teams had to travel to a workshop and assemble a local-style window frame, then look for a house marked with a "Repairs Needed" sign and install the window there. Once the window is installed, the carpenter would receive their next clue.

The clue teams received sending them to Museum of the Last Bow for the U-Turn point. When they turned out to be a new Blind U-Turn twist. Teams picked up their next clue, directing them to Bobrovy Log Park to find their next clue: the Roadblock and teams asking "Who's ready to speed read?". One team member to complete a lap on a bobsled roller coaster in under four minutes while looking for seven letters scattered around the track. They then had to arrange the letters correctly (CHEKHOV) in order to receive their next clue. The clue directed the teams to the Pit Stop at Krasnoyarsk Theater of Musical Comedy.

At the start of the leg, teams were told to head to the city of Novosibirsk by a train via Trans-Siberian Railway. Upon arrival, they had to head to Punkt Tekhnicheskogo Osmotra for a Detour clue, giving them a choice between Russian Bride or Russian Snowplow. By both detours, teams choose Lada cars. In Russian Bride, teams took themselves to a Soviet-era apartment – apartment building 4 on Komsomolskaya Street, fetched one Russian bride and brought her to the Voznesensky Cathedral, where her groom was waiting. Once the team had a picture taken with the couple, the groom handed the team their next clue. In Russian Snowplow, teams headed to Stadium Spartak, where each team member took turns driving a snowplow through a marked lane course while directed by their partner.

The clues teams received to head to Gosudarstvennaya Publichnaya Nauchnaya Tekhnicheskaya Biblioteka and they encountered the Roadblock, asking "Who has stamina and absolutely no shame?". One team member had to choose two Russian marathon runners who would help them warm up, before he or she stripped down to his or her underwear to run a 1.4-mile (2.3 km) course toward the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, where their partner, who was transported there separately, would join them in heading to the Pit Stop.

At the start of the leg, teams opened their next clue, and informed them to travel to the city of Jaipur, India. Upon arrival, they had to travel to Sacred Tree at Dhula Village, teams were left to figure out that their next clue would be revealed to them by picking up one of two telephones and calling one of the four telephone numbers provided. The person on the line then told them the location of their next clue: Amber Fort.

At the Amber Fort, they discovered the clue which was for the Roadblock and teams asked "Who is the better caregiver?". One team member had to choose a group of herding camels belonging to the Maharaja by using traditional tools to carry a pile of hay up to reaching into a designated marking line and fill a trough with water spilled over out the trough and had to receive their next clue. The clue instructed them to head to Johari Bazaar Road and with their next clue. For the Speed Bump, Christie & Jodi proceeded to Kala Hanuman Temple and had to decorate an elephant's face with various paints. If the mahout was satisfied with their work, they could be able to continue the Race with the others.

The clue turned out to be for the Detour, given teams to choose between Movers or Shakers. In Movers, teams headed to the Sanganeri Gate, chose two rickshaws loaded with barrels of hay and transported them 1.5 miles (2.4 km) along the City wall of Jaipur. When they reached the Zorawar Singh Gate, they then had to search through the hay for a metal elephant charm which they could then trade for their next clue. In Shakers, teams should go to a junction (called Badi Chopar, intersection of Johari Bazar, Tripoli Bazar, Ramganz Bazar and Sireh Deori Bazar Roads) and dressed in traditional costumes and joined a local dance troupe to collect 100 (around US$2) worth of tips. They then gave the money they earned to the band leader to receive their next clue. The clue was told them to head to the Pit Stop at Jaigarh Fort.

At the start of the leg, teams were told to head to their next destination was Phuket, Thailand. The picture, in particular, depicted a view of gorilla statue and teams left to figure that the statue was located in Phuket Zoo. Upon arrival in Phuket Zoo, teams picked up their clue and they had to take a picture with Phuket Zoo's main mascot, Esso the tiger, then participate in an elephant show, which involved being lightly stepped and squatted on by elephants. When the elephant show concluded, the tiger handler would hand them their picture, which contained their next clue.

There was a Fast Forward involved going to a market and buying items for a local orphanage using the team's own cash resources. Once a team bought enough items, they would win the Fast Forward award. However, it went unaired.[6] The clue teams received traveling to Nguan Choon Tong Herbs Shop at Old Phuket and had to direct into a shopkeeper to search through 99 boxes with herbs. Once it guess correctly on a right box, the shopkeeper received one of six that contained their next clue. If the team guessed incorrect, they must try again.

The clue where it was discovered for the Detour, giving teams a choice between 100 Barrels or 2 Miles. In 100 Barrels, teams had to travel to Pae Yod to prepare a fishing boat for ten days out at sea. They must choose one of 6 fishing boats, fill 47 barrels with water, and load 53 on the upper deck. Once the fishing boat was properly prepared, they would receive their next clue. In 2 Miles, teams had to transport a rickshaw (with one team member sitting in it) 2 miles (3.2 km) from Wat Phutta Mongkhon Nimit to King Rama IX Park to find the next clue. Bike pumps were provided alongside the rickshaws in the event of a flat tire. The clues sent teams to the Pit Stop at Wat Thep Nimit Temple.

At the start of the leg, teams were informed to travel to the capital city of Bangkok. Upon arrival, they had to head to Chareonyont 007 Boat Yard and opened the Roadblock clue, where teams asking "Who's ready to propel their team forward?". One team member had to put a propeller on a traditional Thai long-tail boat properly in order to receive their next clue.

The clue where teams instructed to navigate the waterways of Bangkok in the long-tail boat using the map provided to find the Peninsula Pier to find their next clue: the Detour. Teams given a choice of Broken Teeth or Broken Record. In Broken Teeth, teams headed to the "Street of Happy Smiles" where they had to match five patients with their dentures, after which the teams would receive their clue. In Broken Record, teams had to travel to Bangkok's Chinatown at Yaowarat Road - Wat Samphantawong and choose a group of kathoeys and a "party taxi"; then they sang karaoke, entertaining the other travelers, as the taxi driver drove them 5 miles (8.0 km) through the Bangkok traffic to their next destination to receive their next clue. The clues teams received directing them to the Pit Stop at Phaya Thai Palace.

At the start of the leg, teams were told to travel to Guilin, China. Upon arrival, teams made their way to Folded Brocade Mountains. In an unaired segment of the Race, teams had to climb to the Peak of the Luminous Moon and strike the "Drums of Life" before receiving their next clue.

The clue sent teams to Qing Xiu Lu Hair Salon for their next clue. As for Mark & Michael, however, they had encounter with the Speed Bump, they had to go to a stylish hair salon and then wash and dry the hair of two waiting women before they could continue with the Roadblock, asking teams "Who's ready for some fowl play?". One team member had to direct a cormorant to retrieve fish they had thrown in Li River. Once they retrieved 10 of the fish, they received their next clue.

The clue teams received directing them to Ancient South Gate to find their next clue which was for the Detour, a choice of between Choreography or Calligraphy. In Choreography, teams had to perform a traditional dance routine. If their dance won the approval of two judges, they received their next clue. In Calligraphy, teams had to copy Chinese characters written by a calligrapher at four stations. Once the calligrapher was satisfied with the teams' calligraphy, he stamped their paper, and they proceeded to find the next station, which was named in the characters they had just copied. Once they had received all four stamps, they received their next clue. The clue instructed teams to travel by foot to Sun and Moon Pagodas in Banyan Lake for the Pit Stop.

At the start of the leg, teams were told they headed next to the capital city of Beijing. Upon arrival, they had to head to Liangzi Foot Massage Palace at Jianguomen to find their next clue: the Roadblock, where teams asked "Who's feeling manipulative?". One team member had to drink a cup of Chinese medicinal tea, then endure a traditional therapeutic foot massage for 10 minutes. After the massage and another cup of tea, they would receive their next clue. In the case teams were unable to bear the painful part of the massage, they would tap one side of their chair and say "uncle" to signal the masseuse to stop. Doing so, however, would mean restarting the massage from the beginning.

The clue teams received from the Roadblock sending teams to Guangcai Natatorium to find their next clue, which it eventually discovered on their Detour, a choice between Sync or Swim. In Sync, teams jumped off three-meter springboards and attempted to touch the water in unison. Teams had to score a five from the judges in order to obtain their next clue. In Swim, teams donned a pair of SpeedoLZR Racer suits, the same type of suit worn by Michael Phelps in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, then teams had to swim eight lengths of the pool (400 meters) with each team member alternating after two lengths (100 meters). When they swam the whole eight lengths, they would receive their next clue (Phelps' world record time of 4:03.84 at the 400m individual medley from the 2008 Summer Olympics was shown for comparison, but teams were not required to beat it). The clues teams received and made their way to the North Gate at Drum Tower. However, Phil gave the teams' clues and told them the leg is not over.

The clue where teams received by Phil at midpoint and told them to travel to Beihai, where they had to find a street mall and searched several stores for a TravelocityRoaming Gnome, which had their next clue on the bottom of its base. Where they told them to travel to Gugong Xibei Jiao, and had to locate electric bicycles and use them to transport themselves past the Forbidden City and cross Tiananmen Square to Dongdan Station where they would find their next clue.

The clue were told to travel to Dongdan Station and searched for their next clue which was for the Detour: Beijing Opera or Chinese Waiter. By both Detours, teams traveled to Huguang Guild Hall. In Beijing Opera, teams had to travel to the Huguang Huiguan Opera House; once there, they had to apply make-up onto each other exactly like the two models next to them. After approval, they had to go to the stage and bow to the master, who would hand them their next clue. In Chinese Waiter, teams had to travel to Huguang Huiguan restaurant; once there, they had to record four customer orders, spoken in Mandarin. Then, teams had to take their pad to a chef and pronounce the Mandarin orders correctly to have the chef prepare them. When teams served the plates to the customers, they would receive their next clue.

The clues sent teams to Wenchang Pavilion and found the U-Turn board. Teams picked up their next clue, and instructing them to Donghuamen Night Market for the Roadblock asking "Who's got a taste for adventure?". One team member had to eat four fried Chinese delicacies: a grasshopper, beetle larvae, a scorpion, and a starfish. After they finished, they would receive their next clue. The clue directed teams sent them to the Pit Stop at Beijing National Stadium.

At the start of the leg, teams were informed to travel to their final destination was in the island of Maui in Hawaii. Upon arrival, they made their way to Beach Access 118 where they had to season a 145-pound (66 kg) pig with island flavoring, then carry it suspended on a bamboo pole 200 yards (180 m) along the beach to a Hawaiian luau. At the luau, they had to properly cover the pig for traditional kalua cooking to receive their next clue.

The clue received instructing them to McGregor Point and teams had to get on a personal water craft and ride 1 mile (1.6 km) along a marked path in search of a field of 100 buoys. They then had to search the buoys for one of four that had their next clue attached.

The clue teams sent to Kaohu Farms for the final Roadblock and asking "Who's ready to build something from memory?". One team member to search through a pile of more than 300 surfboards for eleven that displayed a picture depicting a task, location, or person related to the eleven previous legs of the race—one from each of the first eleven legs (the remaining surfboards had pictures depicting unrelated objects, some of which were pictures showing tasks from previous seasons). Then they had to arrange the surfboards in a fence in chronological order of their appearance during the Race. When all eleven surfboards were displayed in the correct order, they would receive their final clue, sending them to the Finish Line at King Kamehameha Golf Club. There was an unaired task before the Finish Line required teams to search for a statue.[14]